Love is Stronger than Death
by Regnatrixa
Summary: Percy Jackson was killed in the Giant War, but the gods and demigods won the war. Annabeth, heartbroken, makes a rash decision of becoming a Hunter of Artemis. Now, one hundred years later, she comes upon a boy with messy dark hair, and familiar sea green eyes.
1. One

Annabeth looked up at the sky. The stars were glimmering brightly. Even after a hundred years, the Huntress constellation was bright in the sky. She never knew the Huntress, Zoe Nightshade. She heard stories of her though. How she and four others went on a quest to rescue Artemis.

And her. Sort of. _Percy. _Even after so long, she teared up at the slight mention of him. The gods and the demigods had won the Giant War. But Percy had died. To save her.

Annabeth wiped her tears. That was a hundred years ago. She focused on the task on hand. Thalia said that they would rendezvous at this point. Two other hunters, Marie and Leona, were with her. They had tracked a minotaur here. A minotaur. Annabeth thought bitterly on how many things were related to Percy today. She pushed that thought away. Annabeth was a senior Hunter and she didn't want Marie and Leona, who were new, to see her cry.

It was cold. Annabeth's breath could be seen in the air. Luckily, the Hunters were wearing their thick silver parkas.

Suddenly, there was rustling sound in the bushes nearby.

"Careful, stand your ground," Annabeth told the two girls. They nodded.

The big minotaur came out of nowhere, steam blowing from his nostrils. Its horns were big and twisted. The Hunters took out their bows and started shooting. The arrows were precise, and pierced the monster's thick hide. The minotaur, enraged, spotted the three girls and raced toward them.

Marie and Leona ducked out of the way, but Annabeth was paralyzed with a memory. Percy holding his minotaur horn. His first kill.

After a split second, Annabeth realized her mistake. But it was too late. The minotaur grabbed her, and lifted her into the air. She fumbled, and lost her bow. She cursed. As a last resort, she took out her ivory dragon bone sword.

"Take that you filthy monster," she yelled and plunged the sword into the minotaur's face. It disintegrated, leaving one of it's horns. Great, now Percy and Annabeth would have been buddies.

Annabeth took the spoil of war, and tucked it into her weapons belt. Then she walked over to Marie and Leona, who were staring at her with amazement.

Annabeth arched her eyebrow, and then came the catcalls. Thalia and the others were finally here. And they were fashionably late.

o.O.o

Camp was set, and the Hunters were eating their meals. Delicious meat stew, topped with mash potatoes and a cup of hot cocoa.

Thalia and Annabeth sat down talking.

"I heard you singlehandedly took down that minotaur," Thalia said sipping the cocoa.

"We shot arrows at it," Annabeth replied modestly.

"Not what I heard," Thalia said, gesturing at Marie and Leona. "You killed it."

"Whatever," Annabeth said, patting the minotaur horn on her belt.

Thalia's eyes softened. "You also had one of you memory attacks, didn't you?"

Annabeth choked on her potatoes. She quickly chugged down the cocoa. "So what if I did?"

"Annabeth," Thalia said sternly. "You were in battle. What would happen if that occurred again, in the midst of fighting a more lethal monster?"

"I can control it."

"No you can't," Thalia stopped, then asked tentatively, "You were thinking of him, weren't you?"

Annabeth's eyes clouded with tears, but it quickly turned into a cold expression.

Thalia sighed.

After the dinner was finished, all the Hunters gathered around the campfire to say their prayers to Artemis and other gods if wished.

Annabeth's hair curled in the heat, as she said a quick prayer to Artemis. She was still grateful that Artemis had let her join. After that, she headed toward the tent she shared with Thalia. As she was about to sleep, Thalia muttered something.

"Ya know Annabeth," she said delirious with sleep. "I think you should take time off and go explore. Like the U.S."

Annabeth snorted. "Thals, we are in the U.S."

"Wha?'

"Whatever," Annabeth said giggling.

"Annabeth, I'm serious. Go explore. Maybe go visit Camp Half-Blood. Chiron would love to see you."

Annabeth considered this. "Should I?"

"Yup. Now stop bothering me." She started to snore.

"You're the one who started it," Annabeth said to no avail.

o.O.o

Annabeth stood on the hill overlooking Camp Half Blood. She arrived in less that three days. The familiar strawberry scents were flowing toward her, and she recalled the old days. She sighed.

"Here we go," she grumbled.


	2. Two

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan**

Annabeth traveled down Half-Blood Hill. She soon reached Thalia's pine tree and the dragon Peleus, guarding the Golden Fleece. Peleus had now reached his full maturity, and was twice as big than when she went to Camp Half-Blood.

She reached the entrance, and went in. The camp was bustling with activity. Satyrs chasing the nymphs as usual. Campers doing various activities. She smiled to herself, and trudged on to the Big House. Chiron was standing at the porch, surveying the whole camp. He spotted Annabeth, then galloped over.

"Annabeth!" he said delightedly. He went over and gave her a hug. She had sent him an Iris message the day before, so he was aware of her coming.

"Chiron! My goodness, I've missed Camp Half-Blood. I should have come earlier!" she exclaimed.

By this time, a crowd had gathered near them.

Annabeth looked over her shoulder. "Where is Mr. D?"

"His probation is over remember?" Chiron said.

"Oh yeah," Annabeth said at her own stupidity. She laughed. "So many new faces!"

"That's true. We've gained a lot of new campers."

"The gods have been busy," Annabeth laughed.

"Indeed," Chiron replied. "Campers, this is Annabeth Chase. She was once a pupil of mine and one of my best."

"You flatter me," Annabeth said, blushing.

Campers started muttering to each other. "That's _the_ Annabeth Chase? Part of the Seven?"

"Yes, I am," Annabeth told the person who had spoken. The demigod, a pretty red haired girl, blushed. "I think I shall be staying in the Athena cabin as usual."

"If that is what you wish, I will have campers make a bed for you." Chiron said fondly. "Demigods! Continue on what you were doing." He gestured to a girl standing close to him. "Evelyn, assist your sister to your cabin."

She nodded, and Annabeth followed her to the Athena cabin.

"So you are Annabeth?" she asked.

"I think that has already been clarified," Annabeth replied to her half sister, amused.

The girl, Evelyn, looked at her with amazement. "My name is Evelyn, but you can call me Eve." She said bouncing up and down with excitement. "You are quite of a hero in the Athena cabin. Well in fact, all the Seven are heroes in Camp Half-Blood."

Annabeth smiled. "How are things going with Camp Jupiter?"

Eve replied, "It's actually going great. We have ambassadors that move from camp to camp, and there is even an exchange program where you can visit the other camp. It is quite fun."

"That's good to hear," Annabeth said forlornly. By this time, they had reached the Athena cabin. Eve supplied her with some toiletries and her own bunk to sleep in. After she had some time settling in, she and the other Athena campers exchanged hellos and stories. Then they went to the pavillion to have dinner.

Dinner was as good as always. After that, they sang songs by the campfire and toasted s'mores. Everything was great. That night, Annabeth went to sleep soundly, which did not happen in ages.

o.O.o

It was about 12:00 A.M, and Annabeth was out exploring. Since she was an experienced demigod, and was smart enough not to make trouble, Chiron granted permission for her to explore Manhattan and Long Island Sound.

She was currently eating an ice cream sundae at a cafe and looking at the pretty scenery outside. She opted to stay away from places she had already been. Annabeth wanted to see new places, as well as stopping the tsunami of memories that came back to her.

After finishing the humongous ice cream, she headed out. It was sunny, so she wore shorts, a orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, and her camp necklace. Her hair was down, and she had her bow and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. On her waist, her ivory sword in its sheath.

She visited the Apollo Theater and the Battery Park. On her way to Central Park, she spotted a monster.

"You have got to be kidding me," she grumbled. Annabeth hoped to have the trip monster-free. Clearly that was not the case.

There were no mortals around, so Annabeth grabbed an arrow from her quiver and nocked it on her bow. Suddenly, a boy popped out. The monster reared up, and began chasing the boy. The boy, more like a teenager, jumped across to avoid it.

_A demigod?_ Annabeth wondered. She released her arrow, and it landed with a satisfying thunk. The monster, which she identified as a telekine, disintegrated. Annabeth ran over and reached to help the boy, who had fallen down.

As the boy grabbed her hand, she felt a familiar tingling feeling. Pushing it away, she studied the boy. He was tall, and about the same age as her, which was unusual. If he was a demigod, he would have been identified earlier. When she looked closely, her heart almost stopped.

He had messy dark hair. And very familiar sea green eyes.


	3. Three

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan**

Annabeth looked at him with shock. He looked exactly like _him_. A splitting image. A carbon copy. It wasn't possible. He looked a bit more rugged, but that did not matter.

She felt like melting into a puddle, like she first did when the Giant War was over. She took a breath, but that made it worse. Torrents of memories of her and Percy kissing, laughing, and having fun. Annabeth felt like dying, no, worse.

She finally snapped out of it when the boy cleared his voice and asked quizzically and worriedly at her, "Are you okay?"

She whipped her head to him, and said a hoarse yes. Even his voice sounded liked Percy.

"So-" he began.

Annabeth cut him, desperate.

"What is your name?!"

The boy looked at her and frowned, and thought.

"I don't have a name," he said finally.

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why?"

He grimaced, so Annabeth felt bad for asking.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I've been on the run for some time, I didn't really run into anyone."

"On the run?"

He sighed. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay."

The boy paused, then said, "Thank you for rescuing me."

Annabeth looked back toward where the had minotaur stood.

"Not a problem." Then she added. "Since you don't have a name….."

They boy looked up.

Before she can stop herself, Annabeth blurted, "How about Percy?"

They boy looked thoughtful, while Annabeth slapped her hand on her mouth and cursed herself. How could she? After a hundred year of being with girls, she had forgotten how to act around boys. And to suggest Percy as a name? Annabeth felt that she was betraying Percy.

The boy looked at her straight in the eyes, and said, "Percy it is."

o.O.o

Annabeth had no choice but bring the boy back to Camp Half-Blood. The newly christened Percy had no home, probably. And since the minotaur had pursued him, it was likely that he was a demigod.

It was about dinnertime when they got back. Just as they went in the borderline, Percy's face changed: it was first with delight and joy, then with some kind of longing, and finally confusion. Annabeth did not let herself hope, so she went on.

She did not want others to know about Percy, so she crept silently to Chiron. He was sitting at a table, watching the demigods of Camp Half-Blood. His eyes had a clouded look, he was thinking deeply. His eyes reflected them. His eyes also had the depths of years and years. Of sadness. It was the same when Annabeth looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were no different.

"Chiron," she hissed.

"Annabeth!" he said, startled.

She replied nervously, "I have met an…...um, acquaintance while exploring."

"Acquaintance?"

Annabeth looked around to make sure no one was listening, then said, "Hey Percy, come out."

Percy came out, and looked at her quizzically. Chiron, who looked confused and sad at the mention of Percy, gasped. He looked at Annabeth then at Percy, then shook his head.

"It cannot be possible, it cannot," he murmured over and over.

"Chiron," Annabeth began.

He stopped her. "Tell me what happened!"

"I found him mauled by a minotaur. Sort of."

Chiron pressed his index and middle finger to his temple.

"My dear, I am sorry." He rubbed his head. "Get him acquainted then put him to sleep. We can talk about this later in the morning."

"But what cabin? And how am I supposed to explain?" Annabeth asked.

Chiron gave her an exasperated look and said, "I think you know how and which." Then he galloped away.

Annabeth sighed. She turned to Percy. "You and I have a long night."

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! They make my day!**


	4. Four

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. Everything belongs to Rick Riordan**

**For all the readers asking if Percy is Percy, well, I guess you have to keep reading!**

**Keep reviewing!**

Annabeth plopped down on her bed exhausted. After orienteering Percy, she waited to see if he had any questions. He was surprisingly quiet, and took everything in aimlessly. Almost as if he had known.

She chided herself. Of course he would have known. He was being chased by a minotaur, by Athena's sake! She fingered her camp necklace. It was the same as always, but a bit different. Her usual beads were there, except that the whole necklace was intertwined with another necklace. Percy's necklace.

Percy this, Percy that. Annabeth's head started clouding with dizziness. She sighed. Sleep was pounding on her eyelids, begging her to sleep. She gave in, and fell into a deep slumber.

She regretted it as soon as it happened. She started dreaming right away. Currently, Annabeth was revisiting her past; more specifically, the day the Giant War ended.

The Seven, minus Percy was at Olympus. Annabeth saw herself as a spirit, so she was watching everything happen. She saw herself leaning against Piper, who was murmuring words to her. Her old self looked like a mess. Torn clothing, messy hair, and very bloodshot eyes. Hazel was looking at her worriedly across the room, standing next to Frank, who looked stonily face. Jason, who walked around in circles, stopped, and said a very breathy Latin curse speech into the air. Hazel and Frank winced. Leo was acting the most peculiar. He was sitting on the floor, deep bags under his eyes, and saying repeatedly, "It should have been me, it should have been me…."

The doors to the room banged open, and all the gods strolled in. They all looked different, ranging to anger and hate, to relief and even happiness. The demigods stood up attentively, except for Leo and Annabeth.

Zeus looked at them and sighed heavily.

"Children of my brethren, we are proud of your accomplishments against Gaea and her giants. We could not have won this war without you," he added grudgingly.

Hera added, "I no doubt believed that the Greeks and Romans would stand united once and for all."

Annabeth, who had not uttered a word since Percy's death, replied bitterly, "So how come you didn't predict _his_ death?"

Hera looked stunned and sad at this answer, and Poseidon leaned heavily on his trident, face full of grief.

Spirit Annabeth saw that the Memory Annabeth had started welling up with fresh tears.

Athena, who for the first time, went over to her and tried to act as a mother. She took her daughter into her arms and held her while Annabeth wept.

While Annabeth was having her little scene, the gods were whispering amongst each other. After Athena nodded encouragingly at her, Annabeth wiped her tears, and sat straight up.

"We understand, as gods, of what harsh things you went through," Zeus said with surprising gentleness. "It there anything you would like for me to do?"

There was silence. Hazel looked at Frank and Jason looked at Piper. They all seemed to share some kind of mutual agreement. Hazel, Frank, and Piper nodded to Jason, so he spoke up.

"We would just like for us to live peacefully, with nothing, except for good lives, because we do not want to be tempted by fate anymore." Jason said firmly.

"Nothing?" Hades asked. "No riches, no immortality?

"Yes," Hazel said. "Especially the latter."

This was when Leo broke down.

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME!" he wailed. "I COULD HAVE SAVED EVERYONE. I COULD HAVE SAVED PERCY!"

It was like the magic word. _Percy._ The room got darker, and Annabeth stifled a sob. Poseidon looked like he could create a tsunami that could wipe out millions.

Leo continued his rant. "IF THAT IDIOT HADN'T RUINED MY PLANS," he shrieked. "EVERYONE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY, AND I WOULD HAVE GONE AND LOOKED FOR CALY-"

He stopped hysterically. Leo stood up, and suddenly looked cold.

"I know what I want." he said.

"What?" Zeus asked tiredly.

"Rebuild me Festus. Even more bigger and badder that last time," he grinned maniacally. For once, it looked like the old Leo was back. "Then I am going to go off, and explore the world, and find her."

"Granted," Zeus said.

Annabeth then spoke up.

"I want him. Bring him back to me," she begged, and there was hope in her eyes.

Zeus coughed and said, "I would have granted that, but there is a slight problem. Hades?"

Hades sighed and faced Annabeth wearily.

"Perseus's soul has passed on to the Underworld for sure," he said rubbing with eyes. "But the problem is that he cannot be found. I am not sure where he is."

Annabeth looked at him, disbelieving.

She then felt the full impact of his words. There was no going back. He was gone from her. Forever.

She thought that she would break down again, but that didn't happen. She felt her heart freezing up. And it would stay frozen, forever.

Then, Annabeth felt her brain give a light bulb. She was so desperate and full of grief, by this time, this was a last resort. WIthout thinking she voiced her words.

"I want to become a Hunter of Artemis."

"WHAT?!" This came from several voices, so she didn't recognize them.

Athena studied her daughter. "Are you sure you want this Annabeth?"

"Positive."

Piper looked at her horrified. "Annabeth, you can't," she cried.

Annabeth looked stonily ahead, not acknowledging her. Jason pulled Piper to him, and murmured in her ear, "It's her choice, Pipes."

Hazel and Frank just gaped at her, and Leo looked at his feet.

Finally, the one who could veto or approve the choice appeared. Artemis, in a teenage form came up to her.

"Annabeth, I would welcome you with open arms. But are you sure?"

"Yes," Annabeth said firmly.

"Alright," Artemis said, and went back into the crowd of gods, to stand next to Apollo.

Annabeth woke up them, her hair plastered on her head. She was gasping and panting, and all the other Athena campers were staring at her. Eve stood next to her bunk and looked at her worriedly.

"Annabeth, are you-"

"I'm fine," she said briskly and stood up, stretching.

"But you were tossing and turning, muttering, and even crying!" Eve said worriedly.

Annabeth knew she made a big mistake dreaming her past. "It's fine," she said forcefully. Eve knew she was lying, but let go. Annabeth offered a smile for her, and got ready for the day.

o.O.o

After breakfast, she went over to the Hermes table to get Percy. Unclaimed demigods still stayed at the Hermes cabin, as per tradition. Percy was dressed in a fresh Camp Half-Blood shirt, and jeans. After a brief chat, she showed him around.

"What do you want to do?" she asked.

Percy shrugged.

"I don't really care," he said. Then he changed his mind. "Actually, can we explore some more?"

"Sure."

Annabeth showed Percy some of the new cabins. There was a lot more now, and new ones were being built every day. Then they passed by the original twelve cabins. As she was shaking off her dream from last night, she passed the Poseidon cabin. Everything stopped then and there.

"Hey, do you mind waiting here for a bit?" Annabeth asked Percy.

"Sure."

Annabeth sped toward the Poseidon cabin, and peeked inside. It was empty, as always. She went inside and gazed all around. It was the same as always, untouched by age. As she neared the end of the cabin, she remembered the reason she was here. She arrived at the crumbling fountain at the back. It was the same as she remembered. And the thing she was looking for was still there.


	5. Five

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan.**

Riptide stood glimmering in the shallow waters of the fountain. It was in its sword form, large and gleaming celestial bronze. Its Greek inscription, _Anaklusmos_ was engraved on its side. The fountain itself was old. Annabeth's architectural instincts popped on. The fountain was an old Greek design, but virtually everything that was Greek was old. It was made from marble, or possibly white granite. It was cracked on the sides, like someone drew a sword at it. On the top, was a slab of crystal. Now that she looked at it, the fountain looked like it was used for Iris messaging.

Back to Riptide. Annabeth gingerly lifted the sword from the water. She brandished it for a bit, testing its weight. It was still a sturdy sword, but too heavy for her taste. She prefered daggers or knives.

"Oh god," she muttered and tried to find the cap of the pen form of Riptide. She found it, placed it on the tip of Riptide, and it shrank down to a ballpoint pen. A deluge of memories were threatening to overflow, but Annabeth pushed it back. She clutched it tightly in her hand, and ran as fast as she could out of the Poseidon cabin. Poseidon had no demigod children after her Percy, or not that she was aware of.

Percy, the new one, was standing there, drawing figures in the dirt. As she walked up to him, he erased it with his foot, but Annabeth saw a glimpse of a line with spokes.

"Hey," Annabeth said.

"Hey," Percy said back. Then he noticed the pen in her hand. "Who uses a pen these days? Especially ink pens," he said sarcastically.

"Well Mr. Know-It-All, this is not just a pen. It's a sword!" she said, shoving him playfully.

"Suuuure," Percy said grinning.

"Ugh, follow me idiot."

And so they were off. Annabeth still continued to give a tour. Somethings were changed, like the location of the pegasi stables, so she had to ask another camper about that. After a while, Annabeth realized something.

"Percy, you need a weapon."

Percy crinkled his nose with confusement.

"Like, a weapon weapon, or like a thing to show off?"

"A real, deadly weapon," Annabeth said seriously. "It's the matter of life and death for a demigod."

"A weapon weapon it is," Percy muttered.

They walked toward the armoury while Percy asked questions.

"So can I have like, a whip? Or the cool things that superheros use when fighting bad guys-"

"You'll see," Annabeth said tiredly.

When they arrived at the armoury, Percy was bursting with excitement. The armoury was filled with weapons. Axes, spears, whips, maces, daggers, all sorts of celestial bronze weapons. There were even a few mortal weapons, and even imperial gold.

As far as Annabeth knew, the exchange program between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter was strong. You had to have at least five years of experience in the respective camps, then you were eligible and could apply to go to the opposite camp to make friends or broaden your demigod knowledge. Already, she could see the Greeks and Romans at the campfire, chatting and laughing, trying to convince each other to learn Latin or Greek.

Percy brought her out of the thinking.

"Hey, I like this!" He was holding a solid black whip that was made out of a strips of celestial bronze and imperial gold. Put together, celestial bronze and imperial gold made deadly weapons.

Honestly said, it looked a tad bit ridiculous.

Percy swung the whip around. Annabeth opened her mouth to say a warning, but it was too late. Armour on the walls fell to the ground, and were left with a shallow indentation. It would have to be fixed by the Hephaestus kids, and they wouldn't be happy about that.

"Oops?" Percy said timidly.

Annabeth sighed. "What's with you and whips?" She took the whip from Percy, and threw it in a corner.

Percy looked at it sadly.

Annabeth snorted, and tugged him to a section of simple swords.

"Awww, this is boring!" he exclaimed.

She gave him a stern look. "Try this," she said grabbing the nearest sword. It was a Japanese _katana_, with a celestial bronze blade.

Percy took it from her and held it up.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "Too light,"

They spent over an hour trying different swords. Each time was "too light", "too heavy", or "too flashy". Finally Percy found a suitable sword with a light leather grip. It wasn't perfect, but Annabeth didn't want to spend a night in the armoury trying to find a perfect match. She found a scabbard to hold the sword, and then they walked out to have dinner.

o.O.o

Annabeth sat with her siblings and she ate dinner. She watched Percy at the Hermes table. He popular there already and was telling tales of some sort. Everyone laughed at him. Some girls were trying to flirt with him, and for some reason, Annabeth's heart twisted at the sight of that. She chided herself. _Percy is very handsome. Of course girls would like him._ But that didn't explain why her heart was hammering with jealousy. She hadn't felt it since decades. _He's gone, Annabeth. Get it together!_ She told herself mentally.

Percy laughed as a gentleman should, and gently pushed away the girl who was trying to straddle him. After everyone was finished with their meals, campfire started.

The fire was blazing merrily as demigods, satyrs, and dryads had fun. Someone must have smuggled some booze, so it was being passed around. Annabeth declined when it was passed to her.

The night slowly dragged on as everyone was singing and dancing. Annabeth was mesmerized in her thinking. Suddenly there was a tinkling sound.

"HELLO!" someone yelled. Annabeth looked up. It was Percy. He must have drunk some of the booze and gotten drunk.

Percy stood up on a log. He brandished his new sword in the air. "I GOT A NEW SWORD!" People around him laughed. "IT'S VERY PURTY, AND I NAMED IT BOB!" _Bob_. _Bob. _Bob.

By just saying Bob, it unleashed a wave of memories. Tartarus. Bob and Small Bob. Damasen. The Doors of Death. Her Percy. Annabeth stood up abruptly, shaking. Eve, who was sitting next to her, asked, "Annabeth?"

"Annabeth?" Percy echoed drunkenly. He then promptly fell off the log.

"No," she said flatly. Then she ran to her cabin.

She plopped down to her bed, exhausted. No one came after her. Then she started crying. She cried and cried. She cried until no more tears came. Annabeth then fell asleep, clutching Riptide, which had fallen out of her pocket. She then resumed to have the most turbulent sleep in her whole life.


	6. Six

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan**

Annabeth woke up with a gasp. She breathed softly and looked out the window. The light didn't enter, so she assumed it was early morning.

Something pressed hard in her hand. It was Riptide. Annabeth had grabbed it so tight, there were red marks on her hand. She released the pen and massaged her hand.

"Argh."

She stepped out of her bunk, careful not to wake anyone. Then she showered and changed into fresh clothes. Annabeth quickly did a dutch braid to her hair then checked the time.

It was 5:00.

o.O.o

Annabeth let her feet carry her somewhere. She ended up in an arena. It was newly built, and had hints of Roman architecture probably influenced from the Roman demigods from the exchange program.

There were a few dummies in the center of the arena. Annabeth, who had forgotten to bring any of her weapons, reluctantly brought out Riptide, which she had clipped to her necklace.

She uncapped it, as she had watched Percy do a million times, and discarded the cap. Then she started hacking the dummies.

Time flew quickly. By the time she was destroying her 125th dummy, a crowd was around her. Demigods were giving tips or asking advice. She wasn't as good with a sword, but years of practice paid off.

"Hi,"

Annabeth stopped and turned to the voice. It was Percy. He looked like he recovered from yesterday's episode, and looked clean and fresh. He was also holding his sword.

"Can I battle you?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded wordlessly.

So they started sparring. It went on and on. People started betting who would win. Percy was good at sparring for a new demigod, and even battling Annabeth, who had a hundred years of experience, took some kind of talent. Finally, Percy's sword smashed and it was called a draw.

Annabeth was stunned. She usually won.

Percy looked crestfallen.

"Bob, my sword….." he said sadly.

Annabeth winced.

Percy noticed, but didn't say anything. Instead, "Annabeth,...can I try that sword?"

She looked at Riptide. She reluctantly passed it to Percy.

Percy tried Riptide. "Hey, is this the pen sword you were talking about?"

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "How did you know?"

He shrugged and grimaced. "I…...guessed?"

Annabeth felt deja vu but ignored it. She grabbed a sword nearby and took a stance. Percy followed suit. Then they started battling.

It ended quickly. Annabeth was good, but not good enough for Percy. He had slashed her sword, hard, and it blasted into smithereens. He toppled her, and put Riptide against her throat.

There was a collective gasp. A new demigod had just beaten the legendary Annabeth Chase, one of the great Seven.

Percy studied her before reaching out a hand. Annabeth grabbed it, and stood up, trying to get her breath.

There were some mutterings in the crowd. "Hey…...he looks like someone."

Annabeth's instant fears blossomed. There some perceptive demigods in the crowd for sure. Ones who knew their history. Especially the Athena and Hephaestus kids. They might recognize Riptide, which was where everyone could see. It was a famous blade, belonging to Percy Jackson.

Or worse. They might see a resemblance between Percy and and the dead Percy.

Annabeth quickly grabbed Percy, and walked him out of the arena. They stopped before they reached the forest.

Meanwhile, Percy was looking at Riptide forlornly. It was clear he wanted it.

"Hey Percy," Annabeth started.

Percy broke out of his daze, "Yeah?"

"You can have it."

"Have what?"

"Riptide."

Percy looked at the sword. "This?"

Annabeth sighed inwardly. "Yes, you Seaweed Brain."

"Thank you!" he hugged her. Annabeth froze. Percy, seeing her reluctance for touch, was about to pull away, when Annabeth started hugging back.

They pulled away, but Annabeth wished for more. She craved a boy's touch. Then she realized her mistake. She was a Hunter of Artemis for Athena's sake! She couldn't be thinking like that. Annabeth vowed never to do it again. But in her heart, she didn't want to.

o.O.o

As she was dressing to go to bed, Eve came up to her tentatively. Annabeth smiled at her, and motioned her to sit on her bunk. Eve relaxed, and sat down.

"I have a question for you," she said.

"Sure, what is it?" Annabeth replied.

"That new guy, the one who calls himself Percy," she paused. Annabeth nodded encouragingly. She continued, "One time I dropped by the Big House, and there was a picture of the Seven. That guy looks like Percy Jackson."

The blood drained out of Annabeth's face. She knew it. He would get recognized.

Luckily, Eve sensed her discomfort, so she didn't press it. She bid her goodnight and went to her own bunk.

Annabeth settled in, and fell asleep.


	7. Seven

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan.**

One week passed, then another.

It was afternoon, and Chiron had called everyone outside.

"I hope all of you had a lovely afternoon. There's something I want to try, but I want a person who already experienced it to come up and speak."

There was a mutter in the crowd.

"Annabeth," he called. "Please come on up."

She slowly went to him, wondering what it was.

Chiron pulled her and whispered, "I'm want to try capture the flag again."

Annabeth looked at him with shock.

"You discontinued capture the flag?!" she whispered a little too loudly.

Chiron rubbed his head. "There was slightly major accident ten years ago during a game. We discontinued it, but now I think its a good time to bring back old traditions."

No wonder why they hadn't played any capture the flag since she came here.

"Alrighhht."

Chiron smiled at her.

"So campers," she said to the crowd. "As you have heard, Chiron wants to start capture the flag again-"

The crowd started muttering almost immediately.

"Yup," she heard someone mutter. "A death by a fatal blow in the head. A hellhound?"

Someone else said, "They seriously want to start that thing again?"

Annabeth sighed. "Demigods!" she yelled. "I know you spent your time at camp fearing capture the flag." she said smoothly. "But in our day, it was a fun activity to learn new skills and something to look forward to. And anyway, the Romans still play war games at Camp Jupiter, right?"

The Roman demigods nodded appreciatively.

Someone snickered.

"In _her _day. Who cares of the old days?"

There was a gasp in the crowd. Annabeth swiveled her head toward the voice. The voice belonged to a blonde, with big blue eyes. She had seen that girl around camp, with a gaggle of girls, gossiping and flirting with the boys. Annabeth suspected she was a child of Aphrodite. Her suspicions were confirmed when the girl spoke again.

"I mean, right?"

This girl was a perfect visual for the definition of a dumb blonde. And people always thought Annabeth was one.

Annabeth scowled. The girl stepped back. Annabeth's features then changed into a full blown smile. She looked like a flower with that smile. Then Annabeth spoke. Her voice ruined the image.

"Young lady," she said to the girl coldly and harshly. "I am equivalent of age to your grandmother, even older. And I have many, many years of experience of girls like you!" she snarled. "Watch your mouth, are we understood?!"

The girl nodded frightenedly.

Then Annabeth explained the rules of capture the flag. Weapons and teams were given and announced, and preparations were underway. Finally, the game began. As usual, she was paired up with Percy.

It was clear that Annabeth had experience in this field. So she was the unofficial leader. She went into business right away.

Annabeth stepped onto a rock and looked at the crowd of demigods. Since they had never played capture the flag, the opposing team probably didn't know a lot of good strategies. The Roman demigods who had played war games at their camp probably were more experienced. But there was an equal amount of them in each team. So Annabeth decided on an effective, but simple strategy.

She visually split the demigods into two groups.

"Okay now, listen to me very carefully." She pointed at two demigods closest to her. "You two go and scout for the enemy's location."

They started to go but Annabeth stopped them.

"Not yet, listen to all my directions."

Annabeth pointed at the first group she had put together. "After you have located where the flag of the opposite team's is, go join that group. You guys will be the offense. As soon as I give the signal, you will attack the enemy openly."

There were questions immediately bursting out, but Annabeth held a finger out.

"My directions were clear. You will attack the enemy when I give the signal."

The group quieted down.

Now Annabeth pointed to the second group.

"You guys will be left to guard the flag," she said, indicating to a shimmering red flag that was propped onto a nearby tree.

There was a groan.

"How come we get the boring job?" somebody yelled.

Annabeth knew this would happen.

"Defense is just as important as offense. It even might be more important. A whole war could be won with a balanced number of offense and defense," Annabeth said wisely.

The group tasked with guarding the flag seemed to process this.

A demigod suddenly yelled out, "What are you going to do?"

Annabeth smiled. "I'm getting to that part. Percy and I," she said, giving him a hard pat on his shoulder, "will be talking the other team's flag while the first group shall create the diversion.

Percy looked confused. "We are?"

All the demigods yelled out a cheer. Annabeth grinned full on. "Not too loud, we don't want the Blue team to hear us," she said teasingly. She then sent the scouts to look for the Blue team's location.

o.O.o

Percy tried to keep up with Annabeth. They were running through the forest. The scouts had come back with plentiful information, so the offense group was on the move. Annabeth and Percy was also beginning their part of the plan.

He finally caught up with her.

"Hey Annabeth," he wheezed.

"Yeah?"

"Back when you guys announced this capture thingy-"

"Capture the flag," Annabeth said automatically.

"Whatever. You were a bit cruel to Rhodopis."

So that was the girl's name. "I don't want to talk about that." she said shortly.

"But-"

Annabeth shot him a glare. Percy shut up.

They reached the location of the enemy's base. Annabeth could see her team waiting in the bushes for her signal to attack. She turned to Percy.

"You ready?"

"No," Percy said nastily. He looked a bit green.

Annabeth laughed at his expression. "Come on."

They climbed up a tall willow tree. Then Annabeth gave the signal to the group to attack. There was a loud war cry. The Blue team, their warriors had obviously slacked off, were stunned. They quickly started fighting.

Meanwhile, Annabeth and Percy jumped out of the tree, and right into the heart of the enemy's base. The demigods guarding the flag looked stunned. There were only three. Percy used his sword and immediately knocked them out.

"Show-off," Annabeth muttered.

She grabbed the flag, but suddenly slipped. Before she had time to curse herself, Percy grabbed her waist. They both fell, with Annabeth under Percy. He had pinned her to the ground. Annabeth looked at him with wide eyes. It was so long since she had such a close contact with a boy.

Percy looked at her with a strange look. "_Annabeth_," he breathed softly. He lowered his face. And kissed her.

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter. And also, MERRY CHRISTMAS! or HAPPY HANUKKAH! or HAPPY KWANZAA! If you celebrate none of these, well, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! **


	8. Eight

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan**

Annabeth lay there under Percy in shock. But desire enveloped her. She kissed him back, with equal fervor. They lay there, kissing, while yells from the battle were heard. The flag of the opposite team was still propped against a rock.

She ran her fingers through his hair. He responded with a trail of kisses on her neck to her collar. Percy moaned, then Annabeth snapped out of it.

What was she doing! For heaven's sake, she was a Hunter of Artemis. If Artemis had found her doing this, she would die on the spot. Who knew, Artemis could zap her anytime now. But no one zapped her. Annabeth pushed Percy off her abruptly.

"I can't," He looked at her with hurt beginning to form in his eyes. Before he could say anything, Annabeth stood up and grabbed the flag. Without meeting his eyes, she said to him, "Come on, we have to end this battle."

Then she turned and ran.

o.O.o

During the campfire that night, everyone was having fun. The Red team had won, inevitably, but both teams had left no grudges, and laughed it off. S'mores were being eaten at a handful, and some people were having sugar rush.

Annabeth stood with Eve and a couple of her siblings. They were all giggling of some joke Eve had said. It wasn't really funny, but she laughed along anyway. Meanwhile, her head was having a clash of hormones and wild emotions.

She sensed Percy looking at her, trying to get her eye. Annabeth avoided it at all costs. He gave up, but still gazed at her occasionally. Sometimes with confusion. And sometimes with longing.

As Chiron called everyone to sleep, she heard someone whisper to Percy.

"She's a hopeless cause Percy. She's a Hunter of Artemis, who swears off boys in exchange for immortality."

Annabeth wanted to punch whoever said that. There was more to being a Hunter of Artemis than immortality. Being a Hunter meant great honor, dedicating to Artemis. Not to mention being with similiar girls like yourself. And being free from the restraints of society. Annabeth was going to defend the Hunters even more, but her train of thought was shattered by the person who spoke.

"And don't forget that she is a gazillion years old. And she still loves her dead lover, Perseus Jackson."

Annabeth was now really going to kill the speaker. But then Percy spoke up.

"I…...don't know. She just…...I just feel like I know her. And I don't remember anything prior to coming here."

She faltered. Annabeth thought he only had a mild case of amnesia. But then, he didn't even know his own name.

"Who's Perseus Jackson?" Percy asked.

The speaker, presumably a boy, laughed at him. "Come on dude. I'll tell you all about the mysteries."

Their voices slowly faded away. Annabeth was numb. Was that what people thought of her? Cruel, heartless, and mean? Well, spending time with girls who were detached to society didn't really help her social skills.

Eve interrupted her thoughts. "Coming?" she asked.

Annabeth nodded mutely. She then followed the rest of her siblings toward their cabin.

o.O.o

As she was dressing, a girl small for her age came up to her. She looked excited.

"The Hunters are coming, the Hunters are coming!" After that, she ran off to the next person she could find.

Annabeth was surprised. Presumably they were here to pick her up. It was time. She had explored every nook and cranny of the outside world so it was time to go back. She began packing her stuff into a duffel bag.

It was a nice day and the sun was shining brightly. There were, indeed, Hunters. They were milling about, chatting with some of the demigods. When they spotted Annabeth, the Hunters yelled her name is delight.

"Annabeth!"

She turned and saw that the voice belonged to Thalia.

"Thalia!" she yelled back. They hugged. Thalia peered at Annabeth's face.

"Your face is brighter," she noted. "You seem happier."

Was that really how she looked? Annabeth thought she had bags under her eyes and was considerably miserable because of Percy and whatnot.

Annabeth grinned brightly. There was a loud clang. It was Chiron.

"Welcome Hunters!" he boomed. "Come join us for a day or two."

Thalia yelled back. "Thank you! But we came here to pick up Annie."

There was a groan in the crowd. Annabeth conscientiously looked at Percy. He looked pale.

Thalia probably noticed some kind of hesitation from her, so she added, "Maybe we can play a game or two."

There was a cheer. Soon Annabeth was stocked up in Hunter gear with the familiar silvery clothing. They were to play capture the flag again.

The game ended quickly. For the billionth time, the Hunters won. There was no hope for the campers. They were outmatched terribly. Annabeth enjoyed the game.

After a quick, but rowdy dinner, it was time to leave. Annabeth was sorry to go, but at the same time, relieved. It was time for her to go back to where she belonged. Maybe Artemis turned a blind eye on the kiss, but Annabeth vowed to never ever to let her emotions take control.

As they were about to go through the entrance, Annabeth peeked at Percy. He looked sad, and caught her eye. They stared at each other for a moment, the kiss still lingering a bit. Annabeth mouthed a bye, then ran to join the other Hunters. Without looking back.

**Don't worry, Annabeth and Percy will see each other soon! And on a second thought, Happy New Year!**


	9. Nine

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan.**

Annabeth knew something had definitely changed inside her. She no longer looked forward for all the activities the Hunters did. Her heart ached for something. Percy.

Annabeth told herself that that was her punishment. She would long for something that couldn't be hers. Her punishment for disobeying Artemis. Her heart refused to believe that though. It was like a disease. Except the disease was unspeakable for the Hunters.

She denied it was love. _Probably a little crush._ She kept telling herself. Years of living, though, told her that was not how life worked.

"Annabeth!" Thalia yelled. She snapped her finger in front of Annabeth's face.

She recovered her composure. "Yeah?" she asked cautiously.

Thalia sighed. "This is fifth time you have tuned out. What's wrong?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Nothing."

Thalia pressed on, "I've known you far too long. Stop lying."

Annabeth was getting annoyed. "Nothing is wrong." She empathized every word.

Thalia huffed. It was useless arguing with a stubborn Annabeth. It was also close to midnight and Thalia didn't want to waste any more time. She punched Annabeth lightly and went to bed. She probably went to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Annabeth stood up and stretched. It was fairly warm and the moon was shining brightly. Fireflies were dancing nearby. They had encamped in a forest so little critters were everywhere.

It was hopeless going to sleep. Annabeth decided instead to wander around. As she traveled her way through the clutter of silver tents, she heard a faint noise. She let her ears guide her way toward the source of the noise.

It was a lone tent. It was slightly smaller than the other tents, so Annabeth assumed it was a one-person test. As she went closer, she identified the noise as sniffling. More like crying.

Annabeth didn't want to intrude, but her curiosity got the better of her. She hesitantly poked her head into the tent.

As her eyes focused, she noticed who was crying. It was Anna. She joined the Hunters of Artemis around the same time she did. Anna was a pretty brunette with green eyes. She was quiet so Annabeth had rarely talked to her. It didn't help that their names were similar too.

A polaroid photo was clutched in her hand. Polaroid photos were really rare in this time and the camera itself was even more rare.

Anna turned her head toward Annabeth. She blinked and in a moment of panic, she tried to hide the polaroid photo and wiped her tears unsuccessfully. Traces of tears were still imprinted everywhere.

"Yes?" she asked unsteadily.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "I heard, uh, crying. Are you okay?"

Anna let out a small sniffle. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. What's wrong?" Annabeth pressed.

Anna looked at her thoughtfully. She looked torn. Then she shook her head and wiped her face again, removing all traces of tears. "I'm fine." She said firmly. Then the water gates broke.

She started sobbing full on. Annabeth hurried in. She put her arm her. "Shh. Here let's get out of here before anyone hears you." She half carried a crying Anna into the woods close to her tent. She set her down on a flat slab of rock. The bright moon cast enough light for them to see each others' faces.

Annabeth squatted down beside her. "Now tell me. What's wrong?"

The polaroid photo made its appearance again. Anna was clutching it like it was her lifeline. Despite her vise-like grip, she made sure that no creases would harm the photo. Annabeth looked at the photo curiously. It was still vibrant with color. As she looked closer, she saw that there was a boy in the photo. A very handsome boy. Kind of like Percy. Her thoughts ended there. Annabeth mentally cursed herself. Percy was a forbidden topic.

While Annabeth was in her mental war, Anna was getting herself back together. Occasionally a tear fell out of her eyes. She breathed heavily and said, "Telling you won't help. I will still live in a pit of misery every year on this day. And regret all the choices I made."

Annabeth replied, "I've had my own bad choices. You know my story."

She laughed bitterly. "Hero of Olympus, daughter of Athena, and war heroine. You could have done everything and anything. Instead you chose to be part of the Hunters. I don't get you sometimes." She shook her head.

Annabeth cocked her head and tried to keep a straight face without showing her turbulent emotions. Meanwhile, her mind was going over what Anna had said. She went back to a memory warp. All the others had been horrified. The look on Piper's face when she announced her decision was the worst. Annabeth had never dwelled in these memories. She pulled herself out just in time before she was plunged even deeper. These memory lapses were getting more and more frequent. The downsides of immortality. Something bad was going to happen soon if they kept occurring. The worst case was that she might get killed.

Annabeth chose her words carefully. "I did what I had to do," she said firmly.

Anna looked at her carefully. Then she relented. She tentatively showed Annabeth the polaroid photo. Even though Annabeth had already seen it, she looked at it again. The boy in the photo was reading, one of those flimsy paperback books that were barely used in this time. He was smiling and was covered with a thick swath of a dark blue blanket from the knees to feet. The boy also had dark brown hair. Annabeth could not see the color of his eyes.

Gently, Annabeth asked, "Who is it?"

Anna let out a rattled breath, as if afraid of the mere mention of him. "He was my boyfriend."

_Boyfriend_ was a rare word among the Hunters. Annabeth itched to know more. Anna continued, "He died of cancer."

Cancer was not a word that came upon Annabeth's mind a lot. There was a cure for it now. The horrid disease that had killed millions was finally eradicated. Not totally though. From time to time, there were some cases, but it was easily stopped. The world had barely changed from Annabeth's early years, but immunities of deadly diseases were mostly all found.

Annabeth could piece her story together. Like her, Anna had become a Hunter because of her boyfriend's death.

"Oh Anna," she said sadly. Tears were becoming to form around Anna's eyes again.

Anna said bitterly, "He died on this day. I loved him so much."

Annabeth pulled her hand through her hair. This was hurting her as much as Anna. She felt the same way on August 1st, the Feast of Spes, and the day she lost everything. She reached for Anna and hugged her tight.

The two girls hugged each other, both crying, and the luminous moon shining its light onto them. It was funny really the way both of them, different people and personality, had such similar stories. Maybe learning the truth about Anna would be a good thing. They could comfort each other and cry together. Or maybe it was a bad thing. Knowing how other people suffered in the same way.

This was one of the few moments in her immortal life that she realized the true grasp. Percy was gone. Forever. The dead weight in her had grown imperceptibly. With each mention, memory lapse, and look-alike, the hole in Annabeth's heart had torn and gotten bigger. She decided that Anna would be a good thing. They would mend each other's heart. It would never be the same, but it was close enough.

Annabeth whispered into Anna's ear. "I know how you feel. I have felt it too. Too many times to count." It was different than what people would say usually to a person they pitied. Annabeth acted the way Anna was acting now numerous times. Sometimes even worse. Time went on though, so they did to.

o.O.o

It was even more hotter than the day before and Annabeth was tempted to strip and jump into a pool of cool water. Like that would happen.

Eventually Annabeth and Anna parted ways and went to their respective tents. Annabeth had a fitful sleep and woke up with a scream lodged on her throat. It didn't help that it was a hundred degrees outside.

Even Thalia was grumbling. After breakfast, the Hunters packed up and headed north, hoping for a cooler temperature. Annabeth and Anna walked along together and chatted, almost oblivious to the night before. It was still there though, the lingering sadness in Anna's eyes. Thalia walked with them. If she noticed Annabeth's new choice, she didn't say anything.

Even though they headed north, the Hunters decided to leave because of a too cold temperature. Snowing five feet, it was a nightmare. Fortunately, a hydra trail was found and they headed back south.

They were intercepted by a goddess though. To be exact, Artemis. Their patron goddess rarely traveled with them, so it was a surprise.

Artemis was came in her older woman form. Her shining black hair was wound into a tight bun with a few loose curls and framed with a moon diadem. She wore her traditional silver Greek chiton and her arrows were slung on her back in its quiver. Artemis held her bow and looked stern and serious.

Annabeth thought fearfully that she was in trouble for her intimate moments with Percy. Her fears were confirmed when the goddess came up to her and beckoned her. What came out of her mouth was not what she expected though. It still froze her blood.


End file.
